


Unlikely Reunion

by wandering_yoshida



Category: SOMA (Video Game)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-05
Updated: 2021-01-05
Packaged: 2021-03-16 08:33:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 936
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28579035
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wandering_yoshida/pseuds/wandering_yoshida
Summary: Terry Akers changed his mind. This time, for real.
Relationships: Peter Strasky/Terry Akers
Kudos: 6





	Unlikely Reunion

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Leon](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Leon/gifts).



> Actually I just realized this doesn't work with the canon timeline, as Catherine and the ARK team already left in December 2103 for Phi. Moreover, by the Theta incident with Akers, Catherine was already dead.
> 
> Oh well, Akers not going absolutely bonkers doesn't work with the original timeline either, so I guess in this Alternate Universe, everything went a little differently. I just wrote this as a little fun thing for a dear friend, so don't take it too seriously.

January 16, 2104, 4:27 AM

Peter Strasky, even more so than usual, had trouble sleeping. His legs felt terribly cold, and nothing seemed to help with it. Neither rubbing them together, nor the second blanket that Jonsy generously donated to him: nothing worked at all. Laying down on his side, he could hear a vein pumping blood inside his skull as he sunk his head into a pillow. After some tossing, turning, and staring into the darkness, he finally turned on the light on his nightstand and sat up.

4:42 AM. He sat on the edge of his bed for a bit, hyperaware of every heartbeat and every breathe of air entering and leaving his body. After some idle minutes, he finally got up and sat down in front of his desk. His computer coming back from sleep right away, he sent a quick message to the only person he could imagine being awake at this ungodly hour. Well, the only trustworthy one anyhow.

“Hey”

No response for a couple of seconds. Catherine must have been asleep – still, or already? Strasky was ready to put the computer back into sleep mode, along with himself, when the reply popped up.

“Yes?”

Peter smiled, and the movement of his facial muscles quickly reminded him of the burning in his eyes, courtesy of his insomnia.

“Coffee?”, he messaged. He saw the dots on the screen implying that the other person was typing, but they disappeared. She must have deleted whatever she was going to say. After a few seconds, the final response came:

“Sure”

5:09 AM. Strasky elbowed into the touch lock of Catherine’s room, straight across from Javid Goya’s quarters. The quick look at Goya’s name next to his door – a Delta transplant – gave him an uneasy feeling. Peter tried to do his best to avoid the Delta folks since last August, when the much awaited, and – to Strasky – very disappointing crew relocation happened. Meanwhile, Peter’s elbow was successful at pressing the door unlock enough for Cath to notice the beeping sound, and she opened the door from inside, letting Peter in with the two steaming Pathos-II mugs in his hand. He quickly put one of the hot mugs down on Cath’s table, next to Toby, her teddy bear, and sat down on the love seat by the bed.

“Cath,” Strasky said dramatically.

“Yes?”

“The Arabica is out. Forever. I honestly don’t know what this is. Probably better that way.”

They both shared a laugh. Peter took a sip of his coffee.

“Hmm… I’m not convinced what this is, but it’s actually pretty good.” Catherine also took a sip.

“Tastes… almondy? Uh oh, I hope that’s not a bad sign,” she said. Peter laughed, but his face turned sad all of a sudden.

“What’s wrong, Strask?”

Peter shook his head.

“I know he’s coming,” she said. “I’ve heard. There are no secrets on Pathos anymore.”

“I’m scared as fuck, Catherine. I don’t know what he was up to for… what? Five months?”

“We are about to find out. Strohmeier must be curious.”

“Fuck Strohmeier. If they treated Terry with a little more respect, all this wouldn’t have…” He couldn’t finish the sentence, as his earpiece was beeping. He gulped down the last of his drink, and touched the side of the earpiece to establish connection.

“This is Dispatch, Strasky.”

“Morning, Strask. Komorebi’s team is just checking in, thought I’d let you know.”

A mixture of fear and anticipation spread through Peter’s body like electricity. Mostly fear. Peter looked in Catherine’s eyes with an unsure look, and she nodded.

“Be right there.”

As he was halfway out the door, Catherine shouted after him:

"Hey, Peter... are you going to be okay?"

He didn't reply.

5:38 AM. The clichéd wait that seemed like an eternity. Strasky could barely stand in one spot and didn’t know what to expect. After a few minutes, the door opened, and Maggie Komorebi entered, with her ductile suit still on, but the helmet off. She gave a half smile to the “reception committee” – Aashish Shankar, Jane Adams, Brandon Wan, and Strasky – but didn’t say anything. Joaquin Defreine entered soon after, visibly relieved to be back. Then, for almost five or six minutes, nothing.

Eventually, Shawn Evans also entered, fully changed back from the diving suit to his uniform. Peter didn’t understand what was happening, and why no one was saying anything. It felt like everyone was holding their breath for some sort of big reveal. Maybe they were expecting something bad to happen.

6:12 AM. Finally, another opening of the door, and Terry Akers finally stepped through. He also had seemed to have taken the time to change back into his Delta uniform, as per regulation, even though no one cared anymore. His face looked a bit gaunt, more so, than usual, but overall healthy. He quickly scanned through the people in the room, and stopped at Strasky. They stared at each other uncomfortably for almost a good minute. Then, Strasky stepped closer to him.

“You fucking asshole,” Peter said, then hugged him as tightly as he could. For a while, Akers didn’t know what to do, but he decided it would be best to hug him back. So, there they stood, with all eyes on them, which absolutely didn’t matter at all. Finally, the embrace ended, and they stood face to face again.

“Have you gone mad, Terry?” Strasky’s eyes welled up a bit saying those words. Terry’s face turned into a sad half-smile.

“Damn near. But then, I remembered you… and I figured I should let Delta sleep."


End file.
